


Hands

by orphan_account



Category: RWBY
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Romantic Fluff, pinning, sorry its cheesy at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 01:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: As much as he tries, Qrow can't stop thinking about a certain silver-haired man. Turns out the feeling is reciprocated.





	Hands

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by lieu-rey's art of Ozpin and Qrow's hands (Link: https://lieu-rey.tumblr.com/post/181932778184/im-trying-to-actually-do-art-studies-but-they)
> 
> I also listened to these songs while I wrote this: She by Dodie; Two by Sleeping at Last; Sick of Losing Soulmates by Dodie
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

He knew picking the calluses on his palm wouldn’t help, but he couldn’t leave them alone. Qrow could almost hear the silver-haired man passively commenting on them.

_“You need to stop picking them.”_ the man would say.

_“Eh, what’s the harm?”_ Qrow would reply, and he would get a small eye roll from the man.

Qrow knew his hands weren’t the nicest. He had numerous calluses that were as tough as rocks and his hands were always dry. When it got cold out, they would get so dried out they would crack, and occasionally bleed. Even though it was annoying and would often hurt, he didn’t mind it. With all the missions he was assigned, the last thing on his mind was his hands.

However, someone else’s hands continued to slip in his thoughts. Ozpin’s hands were very different. Sure he had some calluses from writing and grading papers, but they weren’t very noticable. They also didn’t crack or bleed at the knuckles when moved. Ozpin’s hands seemed smooth, and he wondered if they were soft as well.

“What am I thinking?” Qrow sighed to himself as he combed his fingers through his greying hair. Why was he so enticed by Ozpin’s hands? They were just hands. Just simple, plain hands. Still, there was something about them that Qrow couldn’t quite figure out. What would it be like to hold them? Were Ozpin’s hands cold? Or were they warm, like his?

Qrow sighed again and put his face in his rough hands. He silently cursed to himself as he began to reorganize the papers in front of him. He was supposed to be grading papers from Ozpin’s class. Qrow picked up the red gel pen and forced his mind to go blank.

With a still-distracted mind and a thousand pen clicks later, Qrow had finally finished grading the stack of papers. He was astonished he was able to complete the task in a somewhat timely manner.

As he began to collect and paper clip the papers together, he felt a light hand rest on his shoulder.

“Thank you for grading these.” A familiar, calm voice said.

“No problem.” Qrow replied as he glanced up at the source of the voice.

“You really didn’t have to do this. I’d prefer it if you rested before the next mission.” Ozpin sighed as he lifted his hand from Qrow’s shoulder to rest on his cane.

“Don’t worry about it. I slept plenty last week.”

There was a pause as Qrow got up from the extra desk in Ozpin’s office. Ozpin looked as if he was going to add on, but stopped and swallowed the words.

As Qrow put away the desk and placed the graded papers neatly on Ozpin’s desk, he saw Ozpin’s brows furrow. He gave a questioning glance at the headmaster.

“May I please see your hands?” Ozpin asked as he held up his, which had too much lotion on them. “I overestimated how much I needed, and I don’t have any paper towels.”

Qrow rolled his eyes playfully and held them out. He didn’t understand why his heart began to race, and tried to stay calm.

As Ozpin rubbed the excess lotion on Qrow’s hands, his lips formed a frown.

“Gods, Qrow. Your hands are terrible.” He sighed. Qrow’s brain short-circuited at the contact of Ozpin’s cold hands against his. They were as smooth as he had imagined, but maybe it was just the lotion. However, they were softer than he has expected, and it took everything in him to not close his hand around Ozpin’s.

“And yours are freezing.” He shot back after a semi-long pause. The silver-haired man gave him a unamused glance.

“Why do you think I wear warm clothing all the time?”

“I dunno, for style?”

Qrow’s response earned him a small eye roll from Ozpin. Once Ozpin was done, he opened one of his desk drawers and began fishing through it. Before Qrow could ask what he was doing, Ozpin held out a travel-sized green lotion bottle.

“You need it more than I do.” Ozpin commented. Half of Qrow wanted to shrug it off and make a snarky joke, but the other half wanted the gift. Without even processing his actions, he took the lotion from Ozpin and stared down at it. It didn’t have any extravagant decorations on it, but it had some simple white designs.

“Thanks.” He replied softly. Maybe he was imagining it, but he thought he saw Ozpin slightly grin.

“Please be careful on your mission.” Ozpin bid as Qrow began to walk out of the office. As Qrow turned back to nod since words were failing him, his maroon eyes locked with the headmaster’s hazel brown eyes. He thought the moment would have been awkward, but it seemed the opposite. It was almost comforting, and it stirred something in his chest.

However, Qrow almost pushed the thought aside as he walked through the school’s hallways. The only thing that halted his forceful push was the familiar smell he had with him. At first, he was confused on where it was coming from, but as he brought his hand up to mess with his hair, he caught the faint scent of the lotion. It smelled of fresh pine trees, wood, and some earthy scent he couldn’t pinpoint. It reminded him of his trips to Atlas and the surrounding towns, but somehow he liked the artificial scent more than the authentic, fresh scent in the woods. Sure, it smelled like the woods, but there was something else that defined it as Ozpin in Qrow’s mind. As he took in the scent, he silently thanked himself for taking the bottle.

*~*~*

A bright, blinding light flooded Qrow’s vision as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He shifted slightly, and regretted it immediately. Pain pricked his abdomen and his arms as he tried to move. Remnants of a throbbing headache pulsed at his temple and the back of his head. His legs felt like they were made of jelly and they were painfully sore.

The realization that his last encounter with numerous fighters had ended terribly slowly dawned on him. As he began recalling the fight, he realized something cold was encasing his right hand. The faint smell of pine and wood danced around the room as well. Lightbulbs slowly went off in his head, and once his vision had cleared, he turned his head to the right. Sitting next to him was a sleeping silver-haired man, whose left hand was over his. Ozpin’s right hand was rested on Qrow’s hospital bed. The headmaster’s head also rested on it. Qrow had to fight the urge to run his fingers through the mess of silver locks. Instead, he curled his hand around Ozpin’s ice cold hand and gave it a small squeeze. Ozpin stirred a bit, but stayed asleep. As Qrow gazed at the sleeping man, his thumb began to lightly rub Ozpin’s smooth knuckles. He felt his own knuckles crack, but he didn’t care at the moment. He was still trying to process the sight in front of him. Ozpin had come to see him? How long was he asleep? Why was Ozpin holding his hand? He had an idea on the last question, but he knew it wasn’t true. Ozpin didn’t care for him that way, right?

His thoughts were put to a halt as Ozpin’s eyes flickered open. The headmaster slowly sat up from his uncomfortable sleeping position and glanced at him. Qrow could practically see the gears in Ozpin’s mind slowly start spinning as he gazed at him.

“I told you to be careful.” Ozpin murmured, his voice still wavering from sleep.

“Eh, that was a suggestion, right?” Qrow joked. Ozpin shook his head and put his face in his free hand. He took in a wavering breath, and Qrow felt his heart drop to his stomach. Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hide the falling tears. Qrow felt the hand in his squeeze tightly.

“No, it wasn’t.”

Qrow knew he should say something, but nothing came out. All he did was squeeze Ozpin’s hand back. Ozpin took in a deep breath and let it out, as if to calm himself. Qrow tried to prop himself up, but flinched as he did. Ozpin tried to make him lay back down, but the huntsman refused.

“You were worried?” He asked, his voice slightly cracking.

“Of course I was.” Ozpin sighed. “I always am.”

Although his left arm ached, Qrow forced himself to lift it and grab Ozpin’s other hand. Once Ozpin had both hands, he turned them over to display Qrow’s bruised and bloodied hands.

“Let me wrap them up-” Ozpin began to say as he stood up, but Qrow’s grip kept him from leaving.

“They’re fine.” Qrow sighed, tugging on Ozpin’s hand to signal him to sit down on the hospital bed.

“No, they’re not.”

“They’ll heal.” Qrow practically pleaded. “It’s alright.”

Ozpin shook his head again, but sat down anyways.

“Now I see why Glynda says you’re unbearable.” Ozpin huffed, but Qrow was too distracted to listen. Was he wrong? Ozpin wasn’t pulling away, and his grip hadn’t loosened.

_Maybe he’s just being a good friend._ Qrow thought to himself, but he was hoping he was wrong. He had pushed his feelings down during the mission, but now they had come back up stronger than ever. Even though Ozpin was trying to tell a story, Qrow interrupted by bringing one of Ozpin’s hands to him and placed a light kiss on it. Although he didn’t show it, he felt himself screaming internally. He hoped he was reading the signs right, and he hoped Ozpin reciprocated the feelings. He didn’t know what he would do if they weren’t.

Ozpin fell silent, and his grip completely loosened. There was a deafening pause as Qrow and Ozpin locked gazes.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what that was.” Qrow laughed awkwardly, trying to backpedal as much as he could. “I might of hit my head too hard-”

This time, he was cut off. Ozpin let go of both hands and cupped Qrow’s face lightly, as if his face was made of glass. Before Qrow could react, Ozpin pulled him gently towards him and placed a soft kiss on Qrow’s chapped lips. The fresh pine smell was stronger now, and Qrow felt his heart swell. Just as Ozpin pulled away, Qrow pulled him back and deepened the kiss.

Qrow couldn’t help but smile afterwards, but his heart stilled when he saw Ozpin smile. He tried to hide his smile by turning his head, but Qrow could still see it. Qrow felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, and he hoped this moment wasn’t a dream.

The bottle of lotion still rested in Qrow’s pocket, even if there was barely anything in it. The pine and wood scent followed Qrow everywhere, and he hoped it would never fade.


End file.
